Chapter 3(Prelude): Love Of The Common People

October 2007

"Refreshments anyone?" Chante handed a glass of champagne to Emma, Manny and Darcy.

"Are you sure it's non-alcoholic," Darcy asked Chante for the umpteenth time.

"Positive," Chante answered. "I know you're trying to stay clean."

"It's a good thing you are," Liberty chimed in. She was wearing her wedding dress. "Drinking is such a nasty habit."

"You should be drinking," Darcy exclaimed. "This is your big day, a glass of real champagne won't do that much harm, Mrs. J.T. Yorke."

"Darcy, Liberty shouldn't be drinking," Emma replied.

"Oh yeah I forgot," Darcy hit herself on her forehead. "She's underage."

"More like expecting," Liberty patted her stomach. "I feel like a big fat whale in this dress.

"You look great," Emma replied. "You're not even showing yet."

"Give me one more month and wearing anything in the juniors section will be a distant memory." Liberty answered. "It's already hard to fit in this dress as is,thank goodness for my mom's little secret."

"Crunches," Darcy uttered.

"More like a girdle." Liberty wiggled. "And I'm wearing it soo tight it's bunching up my pantyhose."

"Remind me to never marry if I'm going to end up sounding like a old maid," Manny whispered to Emma before she excused herself from the bridesmaid table. "I'm going to get some real champagne, Emma do you want some?"

"No thanks," Emma answered.

"Hey J.T. are you ready for the big night." Toby asked

J.T. smiled. "Liberty's been kind of cranky since she thinks she's getting bigger. So I doubt tonight is going to be that big of a night unless were discussing her weight gain."

"We'll at least you don't have to wear protection since it's too late," Nate chimed in.

"C'mon man, that's my sister you're talking about," Danny replied with a disgust look on his face. "Let's change the subject like why you didn't invite me to the bachelor party last night.

"You know why you're too young," J.T. exclaimed.

"Whatever according to my dad you were too young to marry my sister," Danny stated. "But that didn't stop you from walking her down the aisle."

"I thought it was a shotgun wedding," Nate chuckled.

"Why Liberty insisted you take the place of my cousin who couldn't show up as a groomsmen for the wedding baffles me." J.T gave Nate a disapproving look. "If you must know I didn't know Liberty was expecting until after I proposed, I did it because I love her something you wouldn't understand."

"I'm just glad you do because my dad was going to have a heart attack if you didn't. Danny glanced at his father joking with J.T.'s parents. "Just tell me all about last night how good was Fancy at the bachelor party."

"Spinner, hey," Craig exclaimed.

"Hey Mr. number one record two weeks in a row," Spinner congratulated Craig. "Hey where's LoLa," Spinner asked while looking in the crowd for her.

""She's not feeling too well so she decided to go back to her hotel room after the wedding."

"That's too bad, I was kinda hoping she was going to bring along a couple of super-models friends for some of you're single handsome friends."

"Sorry, man maybe next time," Craig answered.

"I'm gonna take your word on that next time we meet."

Craig chuckled "Look, I'm gonna go get some champagne." Craig walked to the bar. "One, please." Craig said to the bartender.

"Here you go," The bartender gave him a glass of champagne.

"Thanks," Craig replied and just as he was going to take a sip from the fluke he noticed a familiar face. "Manny, hey."

Manny was taken back for a while before she spoke. "Craig."

"So how have you been?" Craig asked.

"I'm fine." Manny walked to the bar.

"Here." Craig gave Manny the glass of champagne.

"Oh, thanks." Manny nervously sipped from her glass.

Craig requested another glass of champagne from the bartender. "So," Craig took a sip from his glass. "How have you been, wait, I just asked you that." Craig laughed.

Manny chuckled and after that there was an awkward pause. So.. I," Manny and Craig said simultaneously before laughing.

"You first," Manny replied.

"I heard you got into the prestigious School of Fashion at the University." Craig congratulated Manny. "Good for you."

"Thanks," Manny uttered. "You haven't been doing so bad yourself with the number one album on the charts not only here but in the states too. I always knew you were going to make it big."

"Yeah," Craig smirked before another awkward pause surfaced.

"Couples dance," Liberty screamed. Craig's number one hit single I'm In Love(Something About The Way)from his album played on the stereo. "This is the song that was playing live, thanks to Craig, " Liberty smiled at Craig. " When J.T. proposed to me that night and."

"And we want every couple to join in and dance with us." J.T interrupted. "Hopefully you'll be as happy as we are today, someday."

"So grab that special one you were with tonight and dance along," Liberty exclaimed. Liberty and J.T slowly danced to the music while other couples got up and joined in.

"C'mon you two love birds." An unfamiliar girl Manny only knew as Liberty's cousin replied. "Join in." She coaxed them to join in with the rest of the couples.

"Uhh, Manny would you like to..," Craig nervously asked. "Would you like to dance?"

"I'll love too," Manny answered. Craig escorted Manny onto the dance floor and slowly danced with her until the song was almost coming to an end. Just then Craig noticed a familiar face walking into the ballroom.

"Ash," Craig whispered.

"What," Manny asked.

"Manny, Could you excuse me for a moment," Craig said.

"Sure, no problem," Manny whispered while watching Craig walk across the dance floor to what look like none other then Paige, Hazel, Ellie and Ashley. Craig hugged Ashley as Manny watched on the dance floor in the distance as the song came to an end. "I'm in love with you."

"C'mon guys time to catch the garter," J.T. screamed. All the guys in the house didn't budge. "Don't you guys all run at once." J.T. joked.

"C'mon guys don't be shy," Liberty's cousin exclaimed. She pulled up most of the guys she assumed were single and unmarried.

OK guys get ready," J.T. ran to the front of the dance floor.

"There's no way I'm catching that." Spinner said out loud while standing next to Craig and another unlucky soul. All the single guys laughed in agreement.

"Catch," J.T threw the garter in the air.

All the single guys in the ballroom stood back. Spinner noticed the garter was heading toward him, he moved out of the way and Craig caught it instead. Every young girl and woman in the room screamed and whistled.

"He's going to marry me," A overzealous teenage girl in the room screamed. Everyone in the room chuckled.

"OK girls time to catch the bouquet," Liberty screamed to a crowd of eagerly awaiting single girls. "Catch!" Liberty tossed the bouquet in the air.